ED Summons Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren In Illegal Mining Case; Questioning Tomorrow

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday summoned Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and asked him to appear before the agency for questioning in the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case in connection with illegal mining.

Soren, 47, has been asked to appear before the federal probe agency at its regional office in the state capital Ranchi on Thursday (November 3). The ED has also written a letter to Jharkhand Police Commissioner to make appropriate security arrangements ahead of his questioning.

According to ED sources, Soren will be questioned and record his statement under PMLA in connection with the banking documents recovered from the arrested accused Pankaj Mishra?s residence.

ED had seized a passbook and a chequebook, including two signed cheques of Soren from the home of his alleged close associate Pankaj Mishra last month. Mishra? along with Bachhu Yadav and Prem Prakash who are also said to be close to the Jharkhand CM?was earlier arrested by the ED and is presently in judicial custody.

The ED probe began after the agency raided Mishra and his alleged associates on July 8, covering 19 locations in Sahibganj, Barhait, Rajmahal, Mirza Chauki and Barharwa in Jharkhand in the case linked to alleged instances of illegal mining and extortion. Till date, the ED has identified proceeds of crime relating to illegal mining to the tune of more than Rs 1,000 crore in this case.

In its charge sheet against Mishra, ED has revealed that these bank documents were found during searches at his residence in Jharkhand’s Sahibganj on July 8, 2022. The agency had also recovered and seized several files with bank documents of Hemant Soren and his family members from the houses of different suspects who are on the scanner of officials in the illegal mining case.

In its chargesheet, the probe agency further alleged that using his close association with Soren, Mishra was actively involved in illegal mining and diverting crores of rupees under the instruction of the Jharkhand Chief Minister.

The court has already taken the cognizance of the charge sheet.

In August, the financial probe agency also questioned Soren?s press advisor Abhishek Prasad alias Pintu in connection with the case.

(With PTI inputs)

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